The inquest will examine the circumstances that led to Saidi's death outside the Morrisburg OPP detachment on Dec. 23, 2017.
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A coroner’s inquest will be held later this month into the death of Babak Saidi, a mentally ill man who was shot five times during a violent struggle with two OPP officers outside a police detachment.
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The inquest will examine the circumstances that led to Saidi’s death outside the Morrisburg OPP detachment on Dec. 23, 2017.
Twelve witnesses have been scheduled in what’s expected to be an eight-day inquest. It begins April 20 in Kanata.
The inquest was supposed to take place in March 2020, but was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Bob Reddoch will serve as the presiding coroner. At the end of the hearing, the inquest jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.
An inquest is mandatory whenever someone dies due to a police officer’s use of force.
In 2019, the province’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, concluded that criminal charges were not warranted against the officers involved in Saidi’s death.
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Saidi, 43, of Iroquois, was shot five times — three times in the back — less than two minutes after he entered the OPP station as part of a court-ordered check-in procedure. He had made the same kind of appearance dozens of times previously without incident.
Saidi had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was taking medication for the mental illness at the time of his death. He had a lengthy criminal record.
According to the SIU report, two OPP officers tried to arrest Saidi on new charges after he entered the station two days before Christmas. They pursued Saidi as he turned and walked toward the exit. He resisted when the officers grabbed him from behind and they all spilled outside.
According to the SIU report, a melee ensued during which the two officers, one male and one female, tried to fire Tasers at Saidi, but neither weapon delivered an electric shock because the darts did not penetrate his clothing.
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When Saidi gained control of the male officer’s Taser, the officer pulled his handgun.
The SIU concluded, based on eyewitness accounts and closed-circuit videotape, that the officer shot Saidi after the man reached for the gun and grabbed the barrel.
A forensic pathologist’s report found that three of the gunshots entered Saidi’s upper back. He was also hit in the shoulder and leg.
SIU director Tony Loparco said the location of the wounds raised questions about the incident at first blush, but he concluded that the officer had little choice but to fire at close range since his life was at risk.
The victim’s sister, Elly Saidi, has said she wants the inquest to explore what can be done differently in the future so that someone with mental illness is not killed during a routine interaction with police. Saidi said she also has questions about why the situation escalated so quickly.
Inquest to probe death of mentally ill man shot five times by OPP - Ottawa Citizen
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